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Debating on renting a car in New Zealand? A NZ road trip is a great way to see the country, and while the temptation of renting a campervan is strong, you may also be considering a car.
I’ve rented number cars in New Zealand (5 separate vehicles to be exact) and have been happy with my choice every time! I’ll primarily be talking about 4 modes of NZ transport: car, campervan, the intercity bus and the hop on hop off bus. All in relation to deciding if renting a car is the best option for you.
What are the pros and cons of renting a car in New Zealand, is it ultimately worth it? I’ll tell you right now, renting a car in another country can be a little intimating, but it is totally worth it. I think the freedom and autonomy of a car over the “hop on hop off bus” makes for a more memorable road trip.
Keep reading as I get into the costs, requirements to rent, booking recommendations and my pros and cons list.
If you prefer to jump around, use this table of contents:
Should I Rent a Car in New Zealand? Considerations
There are a lot of considerations when deciding if the car rental option is for you.
When opting to rent a car in New Zealand you’ll need to consider the costs, rules of the road, driving on the left, requirements to rent, road conditions, car break ins (rare) and road trips!
I’ll be highlighting a bit about each of these considerations before putting it all together in a pros and cons list.
Are you on a solo trip or with friends/a partner? Bus routes tend to more popular with solo travelers as it’s a great way to meet other people! If you’re in a group, the cost of gas and the rental will be split thus reducing the sticker price.
Cost of Renting a Car in NZ
When you travel to New Zealand, you’ll quickly learn it is an expensive country. That’s the price to pay for being at the bottom of the world – hehee!
Which means car rentals (and the price of gas) isn’t going to be cheap, but it is manageable.
I found a deal on an economy car with full coverage for $80 NZD / day on Discover Cars when I searched for a 10 day rental Christchurch to Christchurch ($818 NZD total). To rent an SUV (6+ seats) caused the price to nearly double!
The longer you rent for the cheaper the rental will become, I did a search for 10 days since that’s the happy medium between a 1 and 2 week trip.
Check out rentals on the south island here
How to Save Money on a Car Rental
You can save money on the rental by visiting in the off season. Prices will be significantly higher during the summer (Dec – Mar) and when you visit during the shoulder seasons (or winter) you’ll find a better deal on a rental.
🚗 A 10 day rental of an economy car went from $818 NZD for 10 days in January to just
$312 NZD for 10 days in June 🚗
If you visit in the winter, just be aware of black ice! I had a friend rent a van in NZ with her friends in college and they slide off the road on black ice in June. After living here in NZ for a year I have experienced gnarly black ice as well.
The other thing that will significantly impact your rental price is the pick up and drop off location. My family had to pay a $250 fee to drop our rental car off in Invercargil after renting it in Nelson.
The best (read cheapest) locations to rent from are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. And to drop it off in the same location.
Requirements to Rent a Car in NZ
What do you need to rent a car in NZ? Well for starters you need to be at least 21, but most places prefer to rent to people 25+. There’s often a young drivers fee involved too! You’ll likely need to leave a credit card on deposit as well.
Of course a valid overseas license is need too! But you don’t need any sort of special international endorsement or to take an online class beforehand. In fact, if you get pulled over they will look at your U.S. drivers license and that’s sufficient.
Lastly, you’ll need some confidence! There’s not crazy traffic or any super highways in New Zealand, but they do have crazy windy roads. I’ll elaborate more in the next section.
Road Conditions in NZ
You’ll find it all from nice highways (in the cities) to rural dirt and gravel roads if you’re doing a road trip in NZ. I estimate that 75% of the roads on the south island are very very narrow and often very very windy.
This is not to scare anyone, but just to give you fair warning! I also think that NZ drivers drive super fast. I’ll often get past on windy roads – don’t take it personally!
The roads are pretty well maintained, but after the winter storms you may find some roads have taken a beaten. There’s often road construction happening year round!
Will you need a 4wd vehicle? For most NZ driving no, but if you know you’re going to an area like the Marlborough Sounds or anywhere rural, you may want to consider renting a 4wd vehicle.
Lastly, I always take longer to arrive than what is predicted by google map. I think that’s largely in part of the fact that the legal driving speed and the safe driving speed are totally different. Remember to drive safe, stay alert and arrive alive.
What Side of the Road do They Drive on in New Zealand?
If you’re coming from North America, you’ll be flip – flopped. The steering wheel is on the right and you’ll drive on the left side of the road.
I was delighted to find that this was not as big of an adjustment as I thought it would be. There are clever ways to remember when you first get started, such as when you’re driving you should always be able to look out your window and see the center line. because everything is flipped, it will start to feel natural.
I think the best way to start out is just to drive a little at a time at the beginning and don’t give yourself big travel days.
Are There Car Break Ins?!
Are you able to leave valuables in your car? This depends on how much of a cautious traveler you are.
While New Zealand is generally a very safe and trusting country, anything can happen. There’s only one spot I parked on the north island where there were warning signs about break ins. It seems that the north island experiences more of this than in the south.
If I have to leave something valuable (like my laptop on a long hike) I always hide it out of sight, I’ve never had an issue.
Road Trips
Just a quick note about the best road trips! I think that any road trip you take around NZ will be even better when you have your own wheels to pull off at the popular spots and discover your own hidden gems.
My 7 day “top of the south” road trip would be much hard to complete by bus, as bus transportation in the beautiful Golden Bay region is limited. The classic 1 week south island loop (Queenstown to Christchurch) is easier by bus, but still elite with a car.
Pros and Cons of Renting a Car in New Zealand
I love a spread sheet – check out this pros and cons table I made for an easy car rental breakdown
| PROS | CONS |
| Maintain autonomy over your travel. You won’t be looking for freedom camping spots in major areas, you can stay in the neighbor you want | A self contained campervan allows you to stay near some beautiful natural places, rather than in. a nearby hotel |
| Your schedule can be flexible. Leave when you want, stay an extra day, detour ect, all of which you can’t do on a bus | As the driver (rather than being on a bus) you are responsible for navigation, learning new road rules, windy roads and 1 lane bridges |
| More affordable per day than a campervan | Economy car rentals are still expensive |
| A car attracts less attention than a van or moterhome. If you’re in a bright green van everyone know’s your a tourist, a car allows you to blend in a bit more and is easy to park/drive | You’ll have to figure out daily driving directions, routes and spots worth stopping (“hop on hop off” stops in cools spots for you) |
| More fuel efficient than a campervan | Gas is still expensive at nearly $6 USD / gal |
Is Renting a Car in New Zealand Worth It?
I can absolutely say that yes, renting a car in NZ is worth it!
Yes, there are other ways to get around the country (one friend of mine was traveling solo and loved the hop on hop off bus) and renting a car can be pricey if it’s not split by multiple people. But for the freedom and flexibility over your road trip, I think getting a car is a pro move!
I’ve spend months road tripping around NZ, and there’s so many amazing hidden gems you need a car to reach! So while there are pros and cons of renting a car in New Zealand, I think the pros win out.
I hope this guide has helped you decide if renting a car is right for you!
Ahoy! I’m Bree and I’ve started this blog to help you plan your next great outdoor adventure. With a background in marine science, I’ve got an aptitude for all things ocean, but you’ll find land based adventures here too! Everything you see here is based on my own travel experience and paid for myself. I hope you stick around!